If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

What chip contains the service number?

My Series4 has very low signal strength on both tuners. Started after a nearby lightening strike. Everything else works fine, I can get a picture if I amplify the signal a good bit, but even with the amp, the levels are still only in the 30~40 range.

I plan on buying a new Series4, and trying to repair the damage to the analog section with parts from the new unit. But perhaps it would be better if I could just replace the digital IC, that contains my lifetime sub information. I was thinking if remove the IC from the damaged Tivo, and transplant that into the new one I could retain my service number and subscription status.

Would that work?
What chip would that be?
Are there any other components that would be involved?
Would the old HDD work in the new unit, once I transplant the device?

My Series4 has very low signal strength on both tuners. Started after a nearby lightening strike. Everything else works fine, I can get a picture if I amplify the signal a good bit, but even with the amp, the levels are still only in the 30~40 range.

I plan on buying a new Series4, and trying to repair the damage to the analog section with parts from the new unit. But perhaps it would be better if I could just replace the digital IC, that contains my lifetime sub information. I was thinking if remove the IC from the damaged Tivo, and transplant that into the new one I could retain my service number and subscription status.

Would that work?
What chip would that be?
Are there any other components that would be involved?
Would the old HDD work in the new unit, once I transplant the device?

Thanks for any adivice or tips on this situation.

On the Series 2, and, I think, the first Series 3 (the TCD648xxx), it was an Atmel chip, referred to around here as the "crypto chip" (I did a successful transplant on a Series 2 dual tuner to rescue 2TB worth of recordings), but I think somebody said that starting with the Series 3 HD and HD XL, the crypto chip was built into some other chip that would be about 100 times harder to swap. Tried to find the particular post but couldn't. You could try searching through all of Omikron's posts.